EDDIE, MEET LENNY

I can understand why Robin Williams likes Eddie Izzard so much (“Allow Him to Digress,” by Paul Brownfield, Sept. 6).

Izzard’s Engelbert Humperdinck bit is straight out of Lenny Bruce’s routine about two agents watching a guy painting their office and wondering if they could make him a star. His name is Adolf Schickelgruber and Lenny, doing all of the voices with a German accent, riffs on making the name more acceptable for show business: “Adolf Schickel, Adolf Gruber, Adolf Hittel, Adolf Hit . . . Hit . . . Hitler. Perfect! Adolf Hitler!” (Hitler’s real name was Schickelgruber and he was a painter.)

Incidentally, there was a real Engelbert Humperdinck, composer of the opera “Hansel and Gretel.” Since this was an already-established name, it makes Izzard’s routine a non sequitur.

MARJORIE H. ERICSSON

Hollywood